Letters to the Editor
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The problem isn't privatisation itself...
It's the fact that there isn't any oversight. The most insidious development in government contracts - and this applies to all departments, not just defense - is the "revolving door" between the public and private sector.
"Ambitious" political appointees can guarantee themselves a cushy private sector position by turning a blind eye toward graft, and steering no-bid contracts to the right parties. Maybe this is nothing new, but it seems to have morphed into an absolute monster with the current administration. There has been absolutely no oversight, as emphasized by the fact that the Iraq conflict is the most expensive war the United States has ever fought in, despite the "privatisation" of non-combat functions that Rumsfeld had promised us would cut costs.
It is/was absolutely ludicrous to think that for-profit entities would be willing to make the cost/benefit sacrifices necessary to provide essential services, and get them right. They do the bare minimum, obscure their dealings, and try and place the blame on the public sector when they are caught.
There needs to be some sort of bar in place, where perhaps gov't employees are barred for a specific term from taking private sector positions. There isn't any easy answer here, and sure there is a concern of making government service too unattractive.
Corruption is not a joke either. It will eventually destroy the ability of our country to pay to support basic services for all its citizens, creating a privileged class of those wealthy enough to afford basic services like police protection, and those left to fend for themselves.
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I see two problems with this...
1) It adds another level of opagueness to government spending. The government is technically transperent. It holds a contract that says what it expects from the private contractor and how much it is paying them. Now what the money is really spent on has nothing to do with them. The actual spending thus becomes opague. This leads to my second problem.
2) Accountability; our society is becoming obsessed with accountability. We spend thousands of man hours and millions of dollars so that when *@it hits the fan and people ask "Who do we blame for this?" that we have our bases covered. This is how the Iraq war is run, this is what NCLB is doing to education, this is how doctors are protected from malpractice, this is how American corporations are allowed to sell lead-infested, unsafe toys to American children with no ramifications. This is why Katrina became the travesty that it became. This is why drought is going to rip parts of this country in half...I could go on.
Privatization of government powers is corruption by definition. The words have changed from "Robber Barons" to "hedge-fund managers" but the process remains the same. The only difference now is that we've moved from back-room deals and having "friends" in high places to in your face this is exactly what we are doing and you can't stop it because it is legal. What country do we live in? "We the People" are sitting on our asses watching this unfold like a soap oprea.
We need to do as Jackson did and Edwards is trying to do. And that is to "turn the rascals out" and re-take the government through "popular will".
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Give Credit Where Credit is Due, Blame Belongs Elsewhere
Dr. Peake provided extraordinary work on behalf of our military men and women while he was in the Army. He followed that by working with the Project Hope charity. That time included efforts to support humanitarian operations throughout affected areas in the Pacific after the Indonesian tsunami.
I had the honor to serve on his staff, coordinating all aspects of public health for our US forces, during Operation Uphold Democracy (restoration of the democratically-elected government of President Aristede). There is no one who worked harder on behalf of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen/women and Marines then, and I am confident, no one who will work harder for our Veterans once he is approved to be the VA Secretary.
Let us not forget, this was a former infantry officer, wounded in Vietnam, well before he went into medicine, he also served in Somalia, and many other less than desirable places.
Yes, Blackwater may be viewed as an organization that has besmirched the good name, and countered the sacrifices of countless Service personnel. Still, it is not fair to cast aspersions at QTCM, or Dr. Peake, because the Congress and others have chosen to farm out physical exams. If that choice is unacceptable, the Congress and Executive can increase the size of the military medical departments.
Sincerely, K. E. Hayashi, MD, MPH & TM
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Waxman
If Henry thinks these guys are "above board," then I say we can safely turn our attention to more important matters.
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God Bless the...
U.S. of F*cking A.
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It sounds like it is something....
the press should keep an eye on but the last guy to come from this company acted in good faith, unless this guy does something wrong it doesn't seem like a problem.
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Veteran Suicide Epidemic
I wonder if James Peake will be questioned about the epidemic of suicides involving those veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan? According to the special story done by Katie Couric, there were at least 6,000 suicides last year alone!
Here's the link to see the segment:
http://movies.crooksandliars.com/cbs_veterans_suicides_111407.mov
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KBR Decomposing Bodies and TROOP FOOD
Kbr transports dead bodies and then uses the same trucks to deliver food to our troops.
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Dr. Hayashi
I don't care if Peake was a freakin' Eagle Scout and an alter boy, let alone the fact that he was a twice-wounded company commander (captain I recall) with the 101st Airborne. I served in combat in Vietnam under the command of a couple of outstanding COs in the field, and an equal number of certifiable lunatics and complete assholes. So I have no way of knowing which kind Capt. Peake was.
Here's something funny: Look at the outgoing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson. It says on his resume that he was an infantry captain, a CO, much like Peake. But I tried for three years to find Nicholson's particulars, as in which infantry company, battalion, brigade, and division he served with. Because with that info and his dates "in country" it would be easy to find out from the "daily journals" and the "Combat After Action Reports-Lessons Learned" of his unit just exactly where Nicholson was, and what he was doing. Guess what? I'm not surprised that nobody can find that information. I'm not saying he wasn't what he now claims, but where's the record? Where are the men he served with who could say, "Yeah, I was up country with him and he did this and that."
All I know about Nicholson is that he was a multi-millionaire real estate developer who got rich building Parker, Colorado, a wealthy southern suburb of Denver. And he was a Ranger-level contributor to G.W. Bush's presidential campaign. Suddenly, Nicholson is made ambassador to the Vatican. Now there's a dick job if there ever was. But when Principi went out the revolving door to go make more millions, Bush tapped Nicholson to be Sec of Veterans Affairs. During his time in that job he stunned veterans with his incompetence and willingness to cut the VA budget by millions of dollars during a time when the GWOTS were streaming in bleeding and brains scrambled from Bush's two wars. His hallmark was the phrase, "Treat and Return to Function." Which sounds good, but what it meant was he sent out the edict to the raters to deny or reduce claims for service-connected disabilities as much as possible and to drag out the appeals process into not months, but years. Nicholson's main job was to shrink the budget and screw veterans.
Now comes Peake, in through the revolving door just as Nicholson is departing. What do you bet, Dr. Hayashi, that it won't be long before we see a small story in the business section of the WaPo or NYT that "Former VA Secretary James Nicholson has joined the firm of ____ Corporation, in charge of pharmaceutical supply contracts, or facilities location and construction, or medical contract services, blah blah blah for interface with the VA." What do you bet?
You can talk all you want about how Peake is such a great man, but I'll wait and see. I've seen the VA from the inside and I can tell you this: A veteran only gets what he's willing to fight for, complain about, get his congressman to investigate. The whole damned place is biased toward not helping the veteran, but to somehow get him out of the system, make him go away out of frustration.
I'm betting that Peake isn't going to be any different than the last asshole they had in that job.